Wick type oel-fog lubricator



1956 D. G. FAUST WICK TYPE OIL-FOG LUBRICATOR Filed July 17, 1952 v k a.

/xx x x l INVENTOR. Delber' G. Foust ATTOR NEY United States Patent WICK' TYPE OIL-FOG LUBRICATOR Delbert G. Faust, Englewood, Colo., assignor to C. A. Norgren Co., Englewood, Colo., a corporation of Colorado Application July 17, 1952, Serial N0. 299,319

13 Claims. (Cl. 184-55) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in oil-fog generators adapted to create and inject into an air line or air stream, an oil-tog which will pro vide lubrication for air-operated tools or other devices connected to the discharge of the generator.

An important object of the invention is to provide a generator of the above character in'which the quantity of oil injected into the air stream is controlled by controlling the velocity, amount and pressure of air passing over a porous oil soaked wick.

Another important objective of the invention is to provide a device of the above character in which a siphon tube Supplies oil to the wick from a pressurized oil reservoir by virtue of a pressuredifferential created between the oil reservoir and the surface of the porous wick exposed to the air stream.

A further important objective of the invention is to provide a device of the above character, utilzing the capillary action of the porous wick material to retain oil therein at all times, thereby providing instant delivery of oil on an intermittent or continuous basis. This feature elimnates the need for a check valve of conventional design to retain the oil in close proximity to the wick material.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a device of the above character which is very eficent in operation in spite of it being made inexpensively, With a minimum number of parts which are easily and quickly assembled.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of the description and wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the several views:

Fig. 1 is a top plan of the device,

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the same, and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary Vertical section of the top of the device taken on the line 3- 3 of Fig. l.

Referrng now more particularly to the drawing, wherein for the purpose of illustration and not limitation, is shown a preferred form of the invention, the numeral S'designates the wallof a cylindrical bowl or reservoir 35 having a closed bottom and an open top. The top has an annular external should against which a gasket is held by a clamp ring 7 formed with laterally enlarged screw threaded portions in which screws 8, extended through a closure 9, are received to removably clamp the closure on to the top of the bowl 5. This bowl is adapted to contain a quantity of lubricating oil, or other fluid, which is to be formed into a fog or stream of air ladened with oil particles or an aerosol, adapted to be carried by the air stream to pneumatic tools, bearings and similar objects for lubricating or other purposes. The closure 9 has its undersde provided with a groove 10 containing a gasket 11 which is clamped upon the top edge of the bowl as shown. The closure is also provided with a filler plug 12.

The closure 9 is provided with an air passageway 13 extending diametrically of the same and terminating in an air inlet 14 at one end and an outlet 15 at its other end. The passageway 13 has a section 36 of restricted diameter adjacent a venturi section 17. Both the inlet and the outlet is provided with internal threads for association with a pipe line to be Suspended thereby. A duct 16, adjacent the inlet, communcates the interior of the bowl with the air passageway 13 to pressurize the bowl. Just beyond the venturi and at the center of the closure, the section 36 in its lower wall is provided with a chamber 18, having an internal annular shoulder 19 at its upper end and a threaded opening 20 at its lower end which opens into the top of the bowl or reservoir 35.

A porous wick body 21 is provided with an annular flange 22, intermediate its ends, to be engaged beneath the shoulder 19. This wick may be sufliciently porous and be composed of such materials, for example, sintered metal, as will permit a stream of air, in section 36, to pick up oil particles from the exposed surface of the wick. The portion of this wick body above the flange is formed with a dome or semi-spherical head 23 which projects up into and isexposed to a stream of air through passageway '13. The lower end of the wick body terminates in a sleeve portion 24 which seats on a gasket 25, inthe recess 26 of a plug 27 threaded into the lower end of the chamber 18. The wick body is provided with a short axial bore 28, to receive therein the upper end of a siphon tube 29. This tube extends through the 'gasket 25 and plug 27 and reaches to a point adjacent the bottom of the reservoir bowl 35 to convey oil to the wick body 21. As compressed air passes through the passageway 13 into the venturi 17, and into the reservoir Via duct 16, through to the outlet 15,' oil is forced up through the siphon tube 29 by the pressure difierential created between reservoir 35 and section 36, the magnitude of the pressure difierential being a function of and related to the rate of air flow (C. F. M.) passing through the venturi section 17.

As air passes through the device in contact with the porous wick 23, minute particles of oil, referred to as fog, are picked up from the surface of the hemispherical wick 23 and entrained by the air stream being conveyed to any and all devices connected to outlet 15.

During inoperative periods when there is no flow of air through passageway 13, oil or fluid is retained in the porous wick 21 by virtue of the capillary action of this wick material. This feature maintains the device in `readiness-to feed oil into the air stream instantly upon resumption of air flow. The wick material retains sufficient oil to provide an oil mist immediately upon the resumption of the air flow during intermttent service. The capillary action of the wick material holds theoil therein and for short periods of inoperation holds the oil in the supply tube 29.

In order to regulate or control the amount of oil entrained by the air stream, a valve in the form of a vane or blade 30 is rotatably mounted in section 36 on a vertical axis coincident with the center of the dome 23 and of the siphon tube 29. By appropriately adjusting the position of this vane within the passage, it is possible to control the velocity of the air stream passing across the dome of the porous wick, thereby creating the desired pressure differential, and thus controlling the amount of oil which is released or injected into the air stream. When used with air tools having a high rate of air consumption, the vane 30 would normally be turned substantially parallel with the air stream flowing through the passage 13 to offer minimum restriction of this passage. Similarly, when used with tools or devices requiring only small amounts of air, this vane would be adjusted to a position normal to the air stream, or at any intermediate position between these two extremes. The upper end of this vane 30 is provided with a reduced cylindrical extension 31 rotatably mounted in an opening 32 in the top of the closure 9. This extension is provided with an axial bore 33, polygonal in cross-section, for the 'use of a suitable wrench for turning the vane, to adjust its angular position. This cylindrical extension is provided with an annular peripheral groove for the reception of a rubber packing ring 34, which engages the walls of the opening 32 to seal the joint against air leakage.

It will be apparent that the wick body 21 and vane 36 can be readily assembled or replaced by removing the screw plug 27 and inserting them up through passage 18 to the positions shown in Fig. 2. The plug is then replaced to hold the parts in assembled positions. The closure 9 can be removed from the reservoir by removing the screws 8 to render the interior of the reservoir accessible for cleaning or to give access to the removable plug 27 and siphon tube 2.9.

Various changes in the size, shape and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A fog generator comprising a reservoir adapted to contain a quantity of fluid and having an air passage through which air is forced to entrain fluid particles, wick means extending into said passage, means for supplying fluid to said wick means, and valve means operably intercommunicating with said wick means for controlling the velocity of air through said passage across said wick means.

2. An oil-fog generator comprising a reservoir adapted to contain a quantty of oil and having an air passage through which air is forced to entrain oil particles, wick means extending into and having a surface of predetermined area exposed in said passage, means for supplying oil to said wick means, and valve means in said passage arranged to control the size of said air passage across the exposed surface area of said wick means whereby the velocity of air passing across the said wick means is controlled to provide a controlled entrainment of oil particles.

3. An oil-tog generator comprising a reservoir adapted to contain a quantity of oil and having an air passage through which air is forced to entrain oil particles, a wick having a dome-shaped extension into said air passage, means for supplying oil to said wick, and a vaneshaped valve positioned in said air passage and conforming to the shape of said dome to control the air velocity across said wick.

4. An oil-tog generator comprising a reservoir adapted to contain a quantity of oil and having an air passage with an inlet through which air is forced to entrain oil particles and eject oil fog through an outlet, a venturi section in said air passage adjacent said air inlet, wick means extending into said air passage between said venturi section and said outlet, and valve means operably intercommunicating with said wick means for controlling a stream of air through said air passage across said wick means.

5. An oil-fog generator comprising a reservoir adapted to contain a quantity of oil and having an air passage with an air inlet through which air is forced to entrain oil particles and eject oil fog through an outlet, a venturi section in said air passage adjacent said air inlet, wick means positioned in said air passage between said venturi section and said outlet, a siphon tube from said reservoir to said wick means, and valve means adjacent said wick means for controlling a stream of air through said air passage across the surface of said wick means.

6. An oil-fog generator comprising a reservoir adapted to contain a quantity of oil and having an air passage through which air is forced to entrain oil particles, an opening in the wall of said passage communicating with said reservoir, a removable plug closing the bottom of said opening, a wick in said opening and having a domeshaped portion extending into said air passage, a siphon tube extending from the reservoir through said plug and having its upper end embedded in said wick to furnish the same with oil, which permeates said dome-shaped surface, and means disposed in said air passage above said dome-shaped surface of said wick for controlling the velocity of air through said air passage and across said wick.

7. An oil-fog generator comprising a reservoir adapted to contain a quantity of oil and having an air passage through which air is forced to entrain oil particles, an

' opening in the wall of said passage communicating with said reservoir, a removable plug closing the bottom of said opening, a wick in said opening and having a domeshaped portion extending into said air passage, a siphon tube extending from the reservoir through said plug and having its upper end embedded in said wick to furnish the same with oil, which permeates said dome-shaped surface, and a rotary vane-shaped valve postioned in said air passage and having an end conforming to the shape of said dome-shaped portion of said wick for controlling the size of said air passage and the velocity of air therethrough and across said wick.

8. An oil-fog generator comprising a reservoir adapted to contain a quantity of oil and having an air passage with an air inlet through which air is forced to entrain oil particles and eject oil fog through an outlet, a venturi section in said air passage adjacent said air inlet, an air duct between said air inlet and said reservoir between said venturi section and said air inlet, wick means extending into said air passage between said venturi section and said outlet, a siphon tube from said reservoir to said wick means, and valve means in said air passage adjacent said wick means for controlling the velocity of air passing through said air passage and across said wick means.

9. An oil-fog generator comprising a reservoir adapted to contain a quantity of oil and having an air passage with an air inlet through which air is forced to entrain oil particles and eject oil fog through an outlet, a communicating duct between said passage and said reservoir, wick means extendng into said passage, communicating means between said reservoir and said wick means adapted to supply said wick with oil, valve means adjacent said wick means in said air passage adapted to vary the velocity of air across said wick means whereby oil entrainment in the air is varied, and a venturi section in said air passage between said duct and said wick means whereby there is an air pressure differential between said air passage adjacent said wick means and said reservoir adapted to siphon oil through said communicatng means to said wick means.

10. An oil-fog generator according to claim 9 in which said valve means comprises a vane juxtaposed with said wick means rotatabiy mounted in said air passage.

11. An oil-fog generator according to claim 9 in which said wick means comprises a sintered metal wick adapted to retain oil therein by the capillary action of said wick during intermittent operation when no air is flowing through said air passage.

12. An oil generator according to claim 9 in which said wick means comprises a sintered metal plug having a dome-shaped portion exposed in said air passage and an elongated boss attached to said communicating means, said sintered metal plug adapted when saturated with oil to retain by the capillary action of the sintered metal a column of oil in said communicating means during short period intermittent operation when no air is flowing through said air passage, whereby oil is available for immediate entrainment by the initial flow of air.

13. An oil-tog generator comprising a closed oil reservoir and an air passage thereabove, communicating means between said air passage and said reservoir adapted to pressurze said reservoir under the influence of a stream of air flowing through said air passage, wick means ex tendng into said passage adapted to supply oil from said reservor to said air passage whereby said ol s available for entrainment in the stream of air through said passage, ventur means in said air passage for creating a pressure diflerential between said reservor and the air passage adjacent said wick means whereby oil is sphoned from said reservor to said wick means, and means juxtaposed with said wck means adapted to vary the velocty of air thereacross to vary oil entrainment in the air stream.

References Cted in the file of this patent l,780,0l9 2,223,456 2,352,826 2,472,17O 2,515,4l7 2,680,496

UNITED STATES PATENTS Kemp Oct. 28, 1930 Medsker Dec. 3, 1940 Fnch July 4, 1944 Nash June 7, 1949 Myers July 18, 1950 Johnson June 8, 1954 

1. A FOG GENERATOR COMPRISING A RESERVOIR ADAPTED TO CONTAIN A QUANTITY OF FLUID AND HAVING AN AIR PASSAGE THROUGH WHICH AIR IS FORCED TO ENTRAIN FLUID PARTICLES, WICK MEANS EXTENDING INTO SAID PASSAGE, MEANS FOR SUPPLYING FLUID TO SAID WICK MEANS, AND VALVE MEANS OPERABLY INTERCOMMUNICATING WITH SAID WICK MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE VELOCITY OF AIR THROUGH SAID PASSAGE ACROSS SAID WICK MEANS. 